Sarah Kim Bonner.
We really tried. We reached out to pro runners, pro triathletes, coaches, amateur runners, discussed it during our meetings and no one could top the Steve Prefontaine classic: 30/40 track workout.
In case you’re un-run-cultured, Prefontaine was, and still is, a beloved American distance runner. He was fourth at the 1972 Munich Olympics in the 5K and, at the time of his death, held every American distance record from two miles to the 10K. He died at the young age of 24, after crashing his vehicle while impaired. He was known for his “all out” approach to racing and famously said, “A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.” His mental toughness and mindset toward running left an impact on the sport which brings us to the other thing he left behind: a workout that will make you cry, at least his name out in vain.
Pre Run
There are a few stress points that make the 30/40 workout so difficult. There is constant loading, speed work, and an undefined end point. The physiological and psychological stress makes it incredibly difficult but the purpose is to teach your body how to recover under load so that during races you can go above threshold and recover while still at speed. More specifically, your body learns how to recycle lactate from your muscles to use as fuel more quickly. It’s a discomfort that is hard to endure and then add in an undefined amount of reps and your brain will start pushing back. At some point you will need to stop or you will start to fail but how far you can push yourself is up to you.
The other thing that makes this workout such a ball ache? It looks a lot easier than it is. Don’t underestimate it. Even when you treat it with respect it will beat you down.
The Workout
The workout itself is pretty simple. On a track running continuously, complete 200 m in 30 seconds followed by 200 m in 40 seconds, and repeat until you can’t. Those times were Prefontaine’s, or “Pre’s,” putting him through the 5K mark at 14:35. His record for the workout was 18 laps (7.2K). Not only is that fast but the variable speed makes the time even more impressive.
Warm up: 10-15 min of easy running with a few accelerations or strides.
Continuous repetitions of:
- 200 m at 30 seconds (over threshold)
- 200 m at 40 seconds (under threshold)
Cool down: 10 min of easy running
Sarah Kim Bonner.
Execution Tips
If you’re going to try this–and we definitely recommend you give it a bash–adjust the times to your abilities. Set your times as above and below your threshold speed (yep, this is an over/under) but remember the 200 isn’t full recovery. For example, if your threshold speed is around 4 min/km (6:26 per mile), try 45 seconds and 55 seconds. If your threshold is around 6 min/km (9:39 per mile) try 70 and 80 second splits. If you’re not sure of your threshold, use your best 5K time pace.
Stop when you miss the split by more than 1 second more than once or when the paces feel out of control. Don’t be tempted to over run at the start and don’t adjust the recovery time as you go or you will miss out on the purpose and physiological gains of the workout.
Remember you will be running continuously so ensure you have adequate fueling and you’re warmed up and ready to perform. Even though you should be absolutely spent, take time after to warm down thoroughly so you can wipe away your tears.